


Monkey

by blu_eyed_demon



Category: Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - All Media Types
Genre: Canon Divergent, M/M, Missing Scene, Post Episode 3, clary fray - Freeform, elaine lewis - Freeform, mentions of a parents alcocholism
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-24
Updated: 2017-01-24
Packaged: 2018-09-19 15:20:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,429
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9447287
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blu_eyed_demon/pseuds/blu_eyed_demon
Summary: Post season2 episode 3.After leaving his mom's house, Simon and Raphael clash again, this time ending up in a way that actually makes them communicate.Simply this is my 'what was Simon doing whilst Jace and Alec were being their dramatic selves' fic.





	

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this before the airing of episode 4 and as it's not on netflix til Tuesday in the UK I haven't seen it yet. Basically that means this is canon divergent so far as I know, hey maybe this really does happen in episode 4....if only. 
> 
> Also, to me I felt Raphael was helping Simon not going out of his way to threaten his mother, after all he didn't know Simon would walk in and he did say 'don't make me stoop to Camille's level' he just wants Simon to do what needs to be done. So this was the fic that formed in my head around that fact basically.
> 
> Apologies for the formatting. Ao3 did a thing.

“Hey Monkey.”

 

Anger had been bubbling inside of Simon for hours and so when he heard that voice he didn't think, not even for a second, he just reacted. Spinning around he slammed his fist straight into that smug face sending Raphael flying backwards. He hit the metal wall of the supply shed with a loud, reverberating crash before landing on his ass.

 

Simon stood there, staring at his handiwork. Raphael seemed equally startled as he got up slowly, blood pouring from his nose.

 

“Do you know,” He started, straightening his jacket and brushing dust and dirt off of himself even as he bleed freely “How many times you've assaulted me in the few weeks we've known each other? I'm beginning to think you need anger management, Simon.”

 

“You threatened my mother.”

 

Raphael shook his head and used the back of his jacket sleeve to wipe at the blood still running from his nose. Simon wasn't sure he'd ever managed to punch someone so effectively and was mildly impressed with himself, his hand was hurting like hell though. Maybe he'd somehow made a fist wrong? Either way Raphael was in obvious pain and that gave him some satisfaction even if there was guilt already bubbling up too, just like with the knife throwing incident.

 

“I was reassuring your mother, you idiot.” He was getting closer but for once Simon stood his ground and didn't back away. “You really haven't listened to a word I've said, have you?”

 

"I heard you loud and clear, Mr band manager." Simon glared at him.

  
  
"She's happy, proud of you even. Isn't that what you wanted?" Raphael spoke evenly, he didn't even seem angry about the bloody nose. It unnerved Simon more than a little.

Once again, Raphael was standing right in his personal space. It always seemed like he was doing that, standing just that side of too close. It always put Simon on edge though it wasn't fear he felt, he wasn't sure what it was.

"And then you threatened her. Think I'm going to forget that so quickly? She's my mom, dammit." There were lines you just didn't cross and that was one of them.

  
"You seem to forget everything else pretty quickly." Raphael was no longer bleeding freely and the swelling was already going down but his blood still shone under the fluorescent storage lights as he spoke. The evenness had left his tone now, he sounded frustrated rather than angry though.

  
"What's that supposed to mean?"

 

Raphael just looked at him as if Simon should somehow know what he was going on about.

 

Shaking his head, Simon gestured around them “Look where I live, Raphael. It's late and I live in a freaking shed. What do you expect me to do to find Camille right now?” In his pocket, his phone beeped a loud, brief alarm tone.

 

“For such a smart guy, you're being pretty stupid.” That Raphael, what a charmer.

 

He was still in Simon's face too, Raphael never seemed to notice how close he was getting to Simon.

 

“I'll start tomorrow, ok? I got your message loud and clear but I swear if you hurt my family,” He searched for a threat but was flustered by Raphael's expression and proximity which made him let the pause go on for too long.

 

“Haven't you ever noticed that the only violence with us always comes from you, never me?”

 

Simon stared at Raphael, stunned.

 

The silence dragged on and suddenly anger burst from Raphael but even that anger was controlled to some degree.

 

“ _Fuck it, I'm done._ ” He snapped, apparently not realising that he'd slipped into Spanish. “ _I'm done helping you, I'm done protecting you._ ”

 

He was still ranting about ungrateful little shits as he walked passed Simon, letting his shoulder bang hard into Simon's and nearly knocking him off of his feet.

 

Simon was still confused, completely and utterly. Raphael was the one threatening his family and yet now he was the one playing the hurt party? What?

 

As Simon's brain finally kicked in, he launched himself forward. Not at Raphael, no, but at the door that the older vampire was heading for.

  
  
Since he was the only one using supernatural speed, he reached the door first and stood to block access to the handle.

  
  
"Raphael-" He started and was immediately cut off.

  
  
" _No!_ _I can't do this any more Simon, get out of my way before I make you_." Raphael growled angrily, the tiniest glimpse of fang starting to show.

 

Hands up in surrender, Simon simply said two words "It's dawn."

Another long and tense moment passed between them before Raphael visibly calmed enough to accept the fact and nod.

That had been the alarm on Simon's phone. He was still getting used to the strictly night hours gig that was being a vampire and was using an app to help him track the sunrise while he adjusted. Better over safe than sun burned to death, after all.

"I mean, sure," Simon continued "You're older and stronger and the sun isn't, like, immediately high in the sky but it's still seriously risky."

"Surprised you care." Raphael said gruffly though the explosion of anger seemed to have dulled somewhat in the wake of that close call.

Simon found he was more than a little hurt at that.

 

 

"That's not fair." He protested, picking up a clean cloth from a pack and holding it out for Raphael to clean up his face if he wanted.  "I don't want you dead or rather more dead. Seriously. I just want my mom safe. Don't you get that? Don't you remember having a mom, Raphael?"

  
Raphael took the cloth from Simon's hand with unnecessary roughness. He wiped away blood from his face and neck as he replied, sounding exasperated.

 

"There is more at risk here Simon than just your mother. You think I'm just being hard on you? Being cruel for the sake of it? I'm just being honest with you because when all is said and done if we've survived this mess, there will be a time in sixty, seventy, eighty years when all you'll have left is us. That is fact, I'm not saying this crap to hurt you. Vampires have long memories and if you continue to turn your back on us now then one day when you need our clan, you'll find yourself all alone with gravestones for friends."

Throughout this speech, Raphael had been moving closer again. His tone had started off even but Simon was sure he could hear a crack his voice near the end. He found himself wondering how many gravestones there were from Raphael's former life, how long had he been a vampire? Simon didn't even know.

Simon swallowed, doing his best to hold back his own emotions better this time.

 

"I love my mom, what's so bad about that? Why did you even go after her? Why her, Raphael? She's innocent." Still in front of the door, he was now realising that Raphael was so close that he was practically pinned and definitely trapped. "Think I really want part of **your** family after that?"

" _My god_ ," Raphael groaned, slipping into Spanish once more. "How thick is that skull of yours?"

"Do you enjoy insulting me or does it just come naturally to you?"

"Both." There was a moment where Simon almost thought he saw a second of humour there but whatever he saw or thought he had seen died almost immediately. "Use your brain. How could I have known you would walk in? You should have been out looking for Camille."

"I....oh...."

 

 

“Yeah. Oh.” Raphael rolled his eyes and suddenly he was no longer in Simon's space anymore. Instead he walked away leaving Simon where he stood and starting to look around until he found the mini fridge that Simon and Luke had set up with blood. Helping himself, he soon had a cool glass of blood to drink and looked to Simon as if to dare him to object. Simon didn't.

 

They were both quiet for a long time. Simon sat on one of the worktops with Raphael opposite on a bench of his own, each with glasses of blood. Simon was starting to think that, ok, maybe he had been the one in the wrong and that guilty sinking feeling was setting in over the punch.

 

Outside of the storage shed, the docks around them were starting to come to life and the werewolves were now coming and going from the Jade Wolf even more frequently. All normal morning noises that Simon was growing accustomed to sleeping through.

 

Eventually, the silence between him and Raphael grew too heavy for him to bear.

 

“Sorry.” He said quietly causing the other man's head to snap up first in surprise and then his eyes narrowed in suspicion.

 

“For what?” Raphael pushed because of course he wasn't going to make this easy

 

“You know, the punch.”

 

The older man shook his head a little, chuckling bitterly in a way that once again confused Simon.

 

Eventually Raphael asked “How long has it been? Since the City of Bones?” Since the kidnapping, he meant.

 

“I dunno, three weeks maybe? Could be four but I'm not...” It was hard to keep track, especially when he'd been a dead body for some of it.

 

“Ok, in that time I've become leader the same time you rose. Before that I saved your life how many times? Then got you to the Institute when Camille was going to throw you out like trash. Then again in the graveyard I defended your body and since then how much have I helped you and your friends? I literally gave you the clothes off of my back when you needed them and you thanked me by setting loose a dangerous killer but, ok, whatever, I'm the mother threatening monster.”

 

Raphael drained the last of his blood and Simon felt like his head was spinning. He'd lived, died and lived again through that story and somehow he'd never seen it that way. Not once.

 

They had even had fun at a point there. Raphael had enjoyed inspecting Simon in the various suits and helping him select the right one. Apparently a vampire at a shadowhunter wedding was entirely unheard of and Raphael had insisted on making sure their new fledgling represented them well. He'd even tied Simon's tie for him.

 

And then Simon had done everything he'd done.

 

“I...hadn't thought of it like that.” He admitted quietly, eyes anywhere but at Raphael which meant he was surprised when he heard Raphael sounding amused again.

 

“Of course not, you're a teenager and a murder victim. Of course you think the world revolves around you.” That was the Raphael he knew and loved, reassuring and insulting all at once.

 

“You do need support through all this but look at the chaos you've caused. First we need to get Camille rounded up before she kills us or gets us killed. I'd be a terrible leader if I wasn't thinking of the group first. Are you getting that now?”

 

Simon nodded, feeling more and more like a jerk. The past few days he'd been angry and hurt with Raphael for throwing him out, for making him a orphan in the storm with nowhere to go, for all the demands about Camille, for everything really.

 

He always blamed Raphael when shit went down, he was now realising. Why did he do that?

 

“Raphael, I'm so-”

 

“Don't be sorry, Simon.” Raphael cut in, was it just Simon or was he sounding tired? “Actions matter right now more than talking. Help me with Camille and you can come home. If that's what you want.”

 

“I do.” And he really meant it, said it so forcefully it surprised him. “I miss it. I miss, I miss being ok with you.” They'd only ever had a handful of nights when they hadn't driven each other up the wall, of fledgling and teacher and happiness but even the bickering was missed now.

 

“I'll fix the Camille problem. I promise.”

 

Simon wasn't sure how but maybe now he and Raphael could work together, it seemed less impossible. Either way, it was now so much clearer to him that he needed to make an effort with the New York vampires.

 

He wasn't sure how long he sat there before his train of thought was broken by a text message. Simon's eyebrows shot up as Raphael muttered “If that's Fray demanding you serve the Shadowhunters for her again, so help me God.”

 

//Alec's out of the coma, Jace has been arrested. Call me when you wake up pls? Cxx//

 

Simon half shrugged, he found he couldn't protest when Raphael had a point. He had betrayed his people for Clary's and he was going to have to fix that starting now. “It's her but just a status update, Alec isn't dead.”

 

“Slightly insensitive newsflash to send a new vampire.” It took a beat for Simon to realise that Raphael was making a joke at which point he let out a loud bark of laughter and shared a smile with the other man. Shared a smile with Raphael. That was progress.

 

“Is that the one with the poor taste to find Magnus attractive?”

 

“Yeah, are you always this nice to your friends?”

 

“Bane says it's how I express affection.” Raphael shrugged, smirking. “I say he's an idiot.”

 

Simon put his phone to one side pointedly, wanting Raphael to notice that he hadn't text back and that his focus was on the other man.

 

Clary was his best friend and he loved her but he needed to start thinking about himself and his people. He needed to stop thinking of the vampires as something separate and other, he was a vampire now for better or worse.

 

“Well, maybe I should feel honoured that you call me an idiot so much then.” Simon made himself more comfortable on his bench, feeling more relaxed now.

He'd never really had this time with Raphael before because even at the Hotel, Raphael's focus had been distracted because he was a new leader. This undivided attention was something they might not get again for a while, especially if Simon was going to need to earn the trust of each clan member again. They had barely tolerated him to begin with.

 

“Don't push your luck.” Raphael was still smiling though.

 

Shocked as he'd been to see Raphael with his mother, he'd noticed at the time that Raphael smiling and being charming was a good look on him. The older man didn't smile nearly enough in Simon's book.

 

“Where do you actually sleep in here?” Simon was brought out of his thoughts to see Raphael was on his feet, looking around as he took their empty glasses to the small sink in the corner.

 

“The canoes, they're surprisingly comfortable.” For living in a shed.

 

“And clothes?”

 

“Luke found some spares they keep just in case for the pack.” And they were close enough to his own taste that he felt comfortable.

 

“That explains the dog smell.”

 

Simon rolled his eyes but was smiling rather than objecting. His less than gracious hosts hadn't exactly endeared themselves to him.

 

For a moment he simply enjoyed the oddly domestic image in front of him of Raphael rolling up his sleeves up carefully and then setting about to washing up the two glasses thoroughly in the workman's sink. A gesture that Simon appreciated since he'd recently discovered how hard it was to clean dried on blood when you had only cold running water and no dish soap.

 

It wasn't until Raphael was turned back towards him, still using a cloth to dry the two glasses that Simon spoke again.

 

“How was she? I mean, how did she seem to you?” He almost timidly broached the subject, he'd accepted Camille was priority number one but that didn't mean he couldn't ask, right? Simon wasn't sure he trusted his own judgement at that moment though.

 

“Concerned, anxious but I relieved those fears, you saw that.” Raphael was gentler now about the subject, probably because Simon was no longer threatening him. “I was about to call you when you came in, for the record.”

 

Simon nodded and didn't blame Raphael for momentarily seeming to expect him to argue.

 

“Did she seem...was she, um,” Simon sighed and bit the bullet. “Was she drinking when you found her?”

 

“No, I called her and we met at the cafe but her breath did smell a little of alcohol. It's a problem for her, I take it?” Simon was relieved that there was no sign of judgement from Raphael. Growing up being the kid with the dead dad and the lush mother got some pretty awful comments at times.

 

He nodded, swallowing hard for a moment. “She's been on the wagon for 12 years. Did her meetings, kept focused and everything. It's because of me that she started again.”

 

Everything was because of him. His mom was drinking, a homicidal vampire was on the loose, Raphael was preparing for civil war. All his fault.

 

He jolted in surprise as he felt a hand on his arm, gripping his bicep supportively. The jolt, he noticed, made Raphael smile.

 

“She drank because it is her demon, that's not your fault. For now she's ok and when we've gotten through this mess there might be something to do. I've never tried to encanto an addiction away but we could try or speak with Magnus.”

 

Simon blinked slowly “Wipe her memory?” It seemed cruel at first thought but then, was it? If it meant she wasn't addicted anymore, could never relapse again. It sounded too good to be true.

 

“Maybe, I'll think about it. Thanks.” He shook his head a little and then accused, starting to slowly smile again too. “I swear you're just being nice to guilt me for being an ass.”

 

“Harsh. Does sound like me though, doesn't it?” Raphael was smiling even more, his hand only now releasing Simon's arm. “I sat with your mom for hours, you know. All we talked about was you, another five minutes and she might've broken out the baby photos.”

 

“Thank G-” He cut himself off before he could choke on the word. “I arrived in time. I can't believe you told her you're my band manager. I can't believe you remembered I'm in a band.”

 

“Unfortunately, I listen to you more than you think. Even the drivel.” He was smiling as he insulted Simon and Simon felt inclined to agree with Magnus about the insults being a friendship thing. These insults anyway.

 

Which just made him feel more guilty than before. “I've been a total jerk to you. I mean, I've probably been the worst fledgling ever, I just broke your nose and you've been looking after my mom. I've got no clue why you've looked out for me so much but I owe you. Thank-”

 

Simon cut off as he realised that Raphael was moving closer. Simon was still perched on a workbench and so when Raphael drew nearer it meant he was literally standing between Simon's thighs.

 

“No clue at all? Really, Simon?” He asked, his voice a touch lower and softer.

 

Raphael's hand was cupping the back of his neck now and still it didn't occur to Simon what he was about to do until their lips were about to touch.

 

There was a moment when he could almost taste Raphael's nerves. Their lips brushed together in the softest kiss and Raphael started to pull back almost immediately.

 

Simon was having none of that. He chased Raphael's kiss, pressing his lips to the older man's in a firmer and more confident kiss as his hands reached out to rest lightly on Raphael's sides. Not holding him there just, well, just making it clear that Simon was enjoying him being there and that he could stay. You know, if he wanted.

 

Just as he felt Raphael's cool, wet tongue against his lips they were naturally interrupted by his phone ringing.

 

Groaning a quiet protest as he felt Raphael pull out of the kiss, Simon found himself mentally echoing Raphael's earlier sentiment and cursing Clary's ill timing.

 

Then he felt Raphael's forehead touching his, Raphael was still so close. Maybe nothing was ruined after all.

 

“Rebecca is your sister, yes?” Raphael asked though his tone implied her knew the answer, which made sense considering the evening he'd had.

 

Simon nodded, the phone was ringing and now he was torn. He was sure his sister must have been worried but Raphael...

 

“Answer it.” The older vampire said firmly. “If my younger brothers were ducking my calls, I would not be pleased.”

 

Simon nodded, stowing away the nugget of personal information Raphael have just divulged for a later date as he picked up his phone from the bench and answered.

 

“Hey Becca.” As he spoke, it made him smile to notice that Raphael stayed close. He still stood close as possible in fact, literally standing between Simon's thighs and Simon's hand that was not holding the phone had stayed casually on Raphael's side. Like it was the most natural thing in the world.

 

“SIMON! YOU ASSHOLE!” Leave it to his sister to make a reunion interesting. He felt Raphael's chuckle under his hand before he heard it.

 

“Sorry, sorry, sorry.” He said hastily, smile growing wider from both his current situation and from hearing his sisters voice after so long. “Did I mention sorry?”

 

“I'll make you sorry, mister. You've put mom and me through hell. First you freak out on us and then you disappear, we thought you were dead!” Ok, that made him wince. “Charge your damn phone next time, mom's told me everything but that doesn't get you off the hook, asshat.”

 

“Becca, if I'd had any idea she was drinking again you know I would have been straight back.” Shouldering that alone and worrying for him, yeah Becca was joining Raphael and mom on his list of people he needed to grovel and make things up to.

 

“Have you really been touring all this time? Without Maureen or leaving a note or anything?”

 

Lying to her when she was clearly hurting didn't feel right but he didn't need Raphael to say anything, just a look reminded him of why this was the best way.

 

“Yeah, yeah but it's not like I'm going solo. It was like showcasing my stuff, my writing and whatever. Obviously when Ra, when my manager gets proper gigs then the full band'll be there.” Ok, great so now his to-do list was capture Camille, win over his vampire clan, help Clary with her shadowhunter crap, grovel to Maureen AND get back to his music. All without being able to go out in the day. Was it possible for a vampire to have a nervous break down?

 

“Calm,” Was whispered, so soft he almost didn't hear it as Raphael lent his forehead to Simon's again, hand returning to the back of Simon's neck. The embrace felt grounding as Rebecca talked on about Maureen and her being so worried.

 

After a pausing to take a much needed breathe, Rebecca changed topics sharply in a way that made Simon suspect she'd been heading here all along and couldn't hold back anymore. “Simon, Mom said too...this band manager, she thinks and I can't help wondering. It's all just so sudden and you've been acting out and not being you...”

 

“What are you asking Bec?” Simon was pretty sure that he knew what she was asking, Raphael too because,of course, he could hear and his thumb was slowly stroking a soothing back and forth pattern at the back of Simon's neck. Asking bought time to think of replies though.

 

“You haven't been sleeping at home, you haven't been sleeping in dorms. Are you sleeping at his? I mean, are you and him sleeping together?” She didn't pause between the questions and her next thought, something that Simon was glad for since it again bought him time to think of an answer.

 

“It's totally ok if you are. I mean, not being straight isn't a big deal to us and if you're scared of what we'll think then you're a bigger dummy than I thought because the Lewis family might be crap at the touchy feely stuff but we've always been accepting, you know that right? I mean Abuela will just be glad that one of us has found a nice Latino boy and if it's Maureen you're scared of then I can help you there. I'll break the ice, whatever you need. You can tell me if this band manager thing is to cover something else. Ok. Ok, I'm done. You can talk now.”

 

Run on speeches ran in the Lewis family too, Simon noted as he tried to figure out what to say. It was more than obvious that Becca had been stewing on what to say for a while before she phoned and, really, what she'd said was amazing.

 

He'd closed his eyes as she'd spoke, warding off blood tears from the waves of love he felt for his sister. They fought like cat and dog so often but she was more than on his side right now, this was more than he'd ever expected from her in anything really. They weren't close but he felt closer to her than ever in that moment.

 

He'd felt Raphael chuckle again at the 'nice Latino boy' comment too and hadn't been able to keep his own small laugh in but now, now he had to say something but only silence came.

 

His sister was, in some ways, so right but mistimed. How could he explain or label something when he'd not even had time to process this shift in dynamic that had just happened?

 

Opening his eyes, he pulled back enough to see Raphael's face and looked at him questioningly. Raphael, for his part, shrugged slightly and whispered again for only vampire ears “Your choice.”

 

“He's...” Simon's voice failed for a moment and then he locked eyes with Raphael again and found his courage. “Raphael is not my band manager. He just knew...he knew I wasn't ready to face reality and wanted to ease mom's worrying. He's a good guy, he is and he knew that even if I wasn't ready then my family would need something. He is a band manager and maybe he'll help out Maureen and me but, nope, no touring just um.”

 

He wasn't good at lying but this blending of truth and lies made it a little easier.

 

“Ever since Clary's birthday it feels like the whole world and who I am has changed so completely. I've been a jerk, I've hurt people without even realising it.” He was talking as much to Raphael now as he was Rebecca. “And I have a lot to making up to do with all of you, I know that. Since I met Raphael everything has been turned upside-down but that's no excuse. I'm sorry. So sorry for everything.”

 

And he meant it, he really did.

 

Simon felt Rapheal's hand squeeze the back of his neck gently in response, saw him give a small nod and could hear Rebecca's breathing quickening. He really hoped she wasn't crying.

 

“Whoever you are, you're my dumb little brother and I love you even when you're a total asshat. Got it?”

 

“Got it.”

 

“Good coz- oh shit, it's not even eight yet. Did I wake you? Between worrying about mom and you and doing extra shifts at the bar, I swear I'm so nocturnal I'm practically a vampire lately.”

 

Oh, if only she knew the irony of that.

 

“No, no, already awake. Got a paper due so hitting the library early to get it all finished. We were just having breakfast.” Technically that wasn't a lie since they had just both drunk blood.

 

“We? Oh, wow, you're with him right now? Raphael? At his place?”

 

“Yeah and before you ask, I'm not putting him on. He's already spent half the night with mom and that's enough Lewis women for a while, yeah?” Simon told her quickly, his brain could barely handle that his mom had had coffee with Raphael let alone letting Rebecca speak to him. He so wasn't ready for the two worlds to collide just yet.

 

“He's not, like, old or super sketchy? Simon, please tell me you're being safe.” Wow, zero to overprotective in less than a second. That was some serious sistering.

 

“He's a good guy Becca, promise. Clary's met him and Luke, he's even promised Clary he'll look after me through this.” Luke might not like Raphael but he was a good name to drop. In the wake of their father's death, Luke had been a rock to the family and he knew Becca trusted his judgement as much as Simon did.

 

Raphael seemed to be finding his references of character being a shadowhunter and a werewolf amusing as Simon waiting for a tense second.

 

“Ok, but I'm gonna meet him eventually. You're not getting out of that.” Rebecca decided and it felt like the call was coming to an end but he could feel her reluctance too hang up and that fuelled the guilt in him. “Can I tell mom about this though? It could take some pressure off of you.”

 

“I...yeah, sure. Thanks Bec.”

 

“Anytime.” There was a pause before she added a little more awkwardly, sounding like her usual self “I love you, you know?”

 

“I know. Love you too Bec. I'll, I'll call more often. Promise.”

 

And they hung up.

 

Simon looked at the phone for a long moment, aware of Raphael so close and watching him. From one hard conversation to another, frying pan and fire it seemed.

 

“So....you kissed me.” He eventually said, slowly looking up.

 

Raphael smirked back “And you kissed me.”

 

There was still a hand on his neck, his hand was still just above Raphael's hip. It didn't feel awkward, the opposite in fact. Comfortable. Right.

 

“Want to...kiss again?” He leaned in gradually, figuring he knew the answer.

 

Chuckling, Raphael turned his head away. “Yes and no.”

 

“Huh?”

 

Raphael was smiling properly again rather than smirking at his turned his head back. “I would like to kiss again, yes, but first we must sleep or we won't be fit to catch Camille.”

 

“Camille, Camille, Camille.” Simon grumbled with a playful air. “You're obsessed.”

 

Raphael chuckled, guiding Simon to hop down from the work surface, his hands on Simon's hips now. “No, I have very different but arguably just as bad taste, it seems.”

 

“Jerk.”

 

“Asshat.”

 

Lightly, Simon swatted Raphael's chest. So dramatically different from the violent punch from earlier that morning.

 

“So, you like the top or the bottom?” He asked, chuckling at his own joke. “Or the middle.” He motioned towards the three canoes that he'd been using as bunk beds.

 

Raphael's smile was wide, his eyes lit up with humour. Like in that coffee place with his mom, Raphael somehow looked more alive.

 

“How about we share?”

 

A moment after he offered, Raphael seemed to rethink and was in the process of retracting when Simon took his hand in his own. “Sure.”

 

A few moments later and they were making themselves as comfortable as they could manage whilst sleeping fully dressed in a canoe. A situation Simon could admit now that he'd made entirely for himself but he couldn't help smiling as Raphael grumbled about missing his bed. Tomorrow, if all went to plan (whatever plan they were going to make) he'd be back in his bed at the hotel. Or in Raphael's maybe, who knew?

 

Maybe being kissed by a guy for the first time should have confused or freaked him but it hadn't, instead he was thrumming with excitement and possibility. It just made sense so why did he need to question it? He could just see where it took him.

 

“Simon,” Raphael's voice was softer now, he sounded like sleep was creeping in.

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Will you punch me again if I call you Monkey?” He didn't need to open his eyes to know that Raphael was grinning.

 

Pressing his face into the other man's neck, Simon settled into him and smiled “No, no I won't.”

 

“Good.”

 

“Night Raphael.” He kissed the cold neck once, soft and sweet and as he felt himself drifting off to sleep he was sure he heard Raphael murmur

 

“Goodnight, Monkey.”

 

 


End file.
